Additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies enable computer designs, such as CAD files, to be made into three dimensional (3D) objects. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, typically comprises depositing, curing, fusing, or otherwise forming a material into sequential cross-sectional layers of the 3D object.
For example, fused deposition modeling techniques, which are generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,347 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,329, herein incorporated by reference, describe melting a filament of material and extruding the material out of a dispenser that is moved in the x, y and z-axes relative to a print pad. The material is generally deposited in layers in the x and y axes to form cross-sectional layers that are stacked along the z-axis to form the 3D object.
The prior art uses powders, resins and other substances to additively assemble structures.
However there is no description in the art for assembling objects using a plurality of uniform, discrete assembly units. Furthermore, the art does not describe uniform discrete assembly units having specific color characteristics. Thus, what is needed in the art is an apparatus and method for assembling objects having specific and varied color characteristics without the necessity for painting or otherwise adorning the object after assembly.
Additionally the construction devices and methods describe solve the problem of constructing structurally sound objects from standardized assembly units, especially standardized assembly units of uniform size.